


underdogs

by menocchio



Series: balance [3]
Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series)
Genre: Dueling POVs, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:54:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27981852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/menocchio/pseuds/menocchio
Summary: two wounded fighters, uncertain and afraidnot of the punch but what comes after
Relationships: Daniel LaRusso & Johnny Lawrence
Series: balance [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2040426
Comments: 21
Kudos: 62





	underdogs

**Author's Note:**

> This formatting works best in a browser, works alright on a phone, and probably not great on an e-reader.

daniel  
(defense)

| 

| 

johnny  
(offense)  
  
---|---|---  
  
| 

|   
  
|  |   
  
here is a truth, something  
he recognized long ago:  
  
the world is full of bad people.  
(he used to think johnny lawrence was one)

| 

| 

the world is a bad place.  
(some days he barely gets through it)  
  
|  |   
  
he told his students  
always be ready  
  
sometimes the fight will come to you  
the world is full of bad people and

| 

| 

sometimes the only way to survive is to fight  
the world is a bad place and  
  
|  |   
  
eventually you will have to  
deal with it.  
  
| 

|   
  
well,  
  
| 

|   
  
it's time he fucking dealt with it.  
  
_what are you even doing here?_  
says johnny.

| 

| 

_what did you think was going to happen?_  
says daniel.  
  
an unknowing echo of the question  
daniel keeps asking himself.

| 

| 

like johnny hasn't been wondering  
the same damn thing every day.  
  
he looks at johnny's  
bruises and  
it's not jealousy he feels, exactly  
more like ownership.  
like they are his bruises too,  
unseen, or just invisible  
they share custody of this mess,  
he and johnny.

| 

| 

there's something different about larusso.  
his energy or  
no, it's something missing. not anger,  
that's definitely still there.  
but he watches johnny like  
he's asking a question,  
and this time he's not going to walk away,  
assuming he knows the answer.  
  
united in their shame  
and helplessness.

| 

| 

they occupy the same space  
but are not fighting.  
  
it's the latter he can't stand.

| 

| 

and he hates his own relief.  
  
he's come too far to  
feel like this  
again.

| 

| 

years behind them like trash;  
he's ready to step  
forward.  
  
but can he really work with this guy?  
  
they circle each other, wary  
two wounded fighters,  
uncertain and afraid  
not of the punch but what comes  
after  
  
| 

| 

_so we gonna do this?_ asks daniel.  
  
_yeah, guess so_ , says johnny.  
 _but we have to take your car  
i kinda ditched mine._

| 

|   
  
| 

| 

_you – right.  
well i'm not giving you another one._  
  
_who's asking you to?  
i'll drive._

| 

|   
  
| 

| 

_no  
you won't._  
  
| 

|   
  
it's not some higher moral that has him talk  
the guys down at first.  
plausible deniability. he wants to be able to say  
he tried before pulling back his arm.

| 

| 

it's not protectiveness that makes him push  
daniel out of the way.  
it's strategy. johnny's  
more used to fighting, that's just a fact.  
  
but something strange happens in that garage.  
  
he has to have  
someone else's back for once.  
because johnny doesn't block so much  
as throw himself into a fist.

| 

| 

he has to fight  
for someone else for once.  
because daniel doesn't attack so much  
as wait for a critical slip-up.  
  
the realization blooms  
like a bruise and almost as painful:  
he's not in this thing alone.  
  
he stops a kick aimed for johnny's back.

| 

| 

he flips a guy before he can collar daniel.  
  
he knows  
they say fighting  
doesn't solve anything,  
but this feels  
right.  
  
it's two to one odds

| 

| 

it's four on two  
  
and he almost feels bad  
for the other guys.  
because he and johnny?

| 

| 

his body realizes before he does  
they're going to be fine.  
because he and daniel?  
  
they make a great team.  
twisting in the air,  
  
going high

| 

| 

sliding low  
  
the last man  
standing goes down between them  
and it feels like a secret  
handshake  
three decades in the grasping.  
  
_i think my shiner has a shiner_ ,  
says johnny afterwards  
in the car, squinting in the visor mirror.

| 

| 

daniel dabs his lip,  
looks at the blood staining his finger,  
and surprises himself with a laugh.  
  
| 

|   
  
everything is still a mess.  
nothing is fixed, not yet.  
but he knows this:  
  
the world is full of bad people.  
they will try to hurt you

| 

| 

the world is a bad place.  
it will try to wreck you  
  
and you will have to fight.  
  
but damn if it isn't easier to do it  
with a partner.


End file.
